


Games and Suffering

by Umbreeunix



Series: Mass Effect Drabbles [2]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Comedy, Explicit Language, Fluff and Humor, Interspecies Relationship(s), Mass Effect 2, Multi, POV Second Person, Platonic Relationships, video games - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-22
Updated: 2017-01-22
Packaged: 2018-09-19 02:59:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9414965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Umbreeunix/pseuds/Umbreeunix
Summary: Commander Shepard finds herself grounded due to a misunderstanding with the Council and finds herself impulse buying a two century old game to help pass the time.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This was an idea I came up with when I watched the game grumps play Super Mario Sunshine and started remembering my childhood playing it as well. So here's my story about Commander Shepard suffering through the game and Garrus being sassy about it. It's set somewhere in ME2, could be before, during, or after. Again I tried to keep it pretty open ended. No real spoilers throughout it though.
> 
> Also I apologize for the length, originally it was much shorter but after editing it doubled.

A dark, menacing gloom radiates from you with every heavy, loathsome step through the Zakera Ward. You’re forced to meander about while the Council sifts for more things to get on your ass about. This time though, their constant digging has left your ship completely grounded with the threat of being court marshaled bearing down on you if you elect to disobey… Again. Seems they’re really covering all their bases this time.

So you’re stuck, incapable of leaving and not too willing to stay, while the mysterious figure funding this suicide mission of yours attempts to pull some strings in order to bail you out. You’d be more grateful if he wasn’t the head of such a shady, xenophobic corporation, but you’ll take help wherever you can get it.

Oh well, if you were going to suffer, you definitely didn’t plan on doing it alone. Dragging along two of your closest friends, Tali and Garrus, down with you. And though the turian seemed less than thrilled to be back in the wards of the Citadel, the quarian counterpart soaked up the sights with an almost wide eyed wonder, much like her first time. Though, unlike that first time, it’s a lot more subdued. Too bad you couldn’t say you were so impartial, still fuming at the Council’s spurious accusations, fists still clenched and teeth grinding long after the meeting had been adjourned.

In the middle of your seething you weren’t aware of the Gaming Shop you were making a beeline for, and it’s only when Garrus is grabbing you by the collar of your chest-plate do you snap out of your heated trance. Just before you hit the edge of the counter too.

“I know you’re pissed, Commander, but I don’t think running into kiosks is going to help,” you hear snickering as Tali catches up to the both of you and stands at your side, shooting the pair a deadly glare, though it’s weight is diminished by the slow growing smile on your face. The man scoffs and rolls his eyes, turning his attention to the crowd to scan at his leisure, meanwhile Tali is poking around through the meager stock of software and disks that were strewn across the counter top. You tsk at them both but follow Tali’s example, admittedly curious about the kinds of games that were up for sale. You fish for a tablet and flick through the rows upon rows of titles, expecting something to stand out to you, meanwhile the salarian salesman  keeps a close eye on you and your entourage. You pay him no mind.

“Check this out Shepard!” you see a slender, plum gloved hand wave you over to the stacks of small cases to the far right of the kiosk, setting your tablet down to see what was so important that the quarian had to point it out.

“I didn’t think they’d have games from so far back. This one’s almost two centuries old,” she explains, stupefied, and with how she’s describing it you’re a little bit as well. You take the cover as she holds it out and read the brightly printed text across the front, the lettering well contrasted by the incredibly saturated background framing it. Even without the English script you could tell this particular piece came straight from your home planet.

“Super Mario Sunshine?” you recite with a fond sort of nostalgia, grinning to yourself as you flip the case over to its’ backside, “man, this one _is_ old. I don’t even think the publishers that made it even exist anymore.” You were quite familiar with this title, it wasn’t uncommon to uncover loads of old games in the slums. It was definitely easier than trying to purchasing or getting it brand new. As you study the back you have to admire the impeccable restoration, there was hardly a difference in it from the one you’d found shoved into a dump all those years ago… Well, besides this one not smelling of trash and being coated in gunk. It must’ve been a son of a bitch to recover considering the age.

While you’re marveling at this game’s cover design and reminiscing about your childhood the salarian slides towards the two of you with a sly grin. You’re head snaps up when you catch the motion in your peripherals, managing to spot Garrus inspecting one of the tablets for himself from the corner of your eye before you’re forced to give the salarian your full attention.

“I see you’re interest is piqued in the more... retro game titles. And Nintendo no less. Keen eye,” he taps the box cover lightly with his finger, “this one’s very rare, only a handful of copies left in the whole galaxy.” The salarian gives you the typical pleasant, customer service-y smile, and though he masked it well you knew exactly what his plan was. So you smile back and try to feign ignorance.

“Is that so? You really do flatter me, sir. I guess I better snatch this up before they’re all sold out,” the man beams and Tali gives you a critical look from the corner of her helmet, but doesn’t speak up.

“Very good! Even got a special offer, just for you. Game comes with classic TV set, modded to fit any modern home, the console, a memory card, and even two classic controllers! A very nice deal, yes? And only for the most refined gamers,” he was buttering you up, though you could barely keep up with any of it. His speaking is so sporadic and hurried you feared you had missed something. Even if you did it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to see what kind of game he was playing, and lets just say you weren’t all that inexperienced. You purse your lips thoughtfully for a minute or so before asking.

“How much?”

“Ah, mmmm,” he hesitated, obviously caught off guard, but he’s quick to compose himself. He pulls a calculator out from somewhere below the counter and crunches in the numbers.

“Well… normally it would cost a hefty penny,” you roll your eyes, what a tired salesman line, which he noticed and quickly interjects with, “ _but_ , for you, I suppose I could offer a discount. How is 50,000 credits?”

You wince internally at that steep amount, although Tali is a little less subtle. Grimacing behind the foggy violet tinted glass, a gesture that would probably go unnoticed by most people. You’re quickly realizing that she’d been observing the exchange the whole time, albeit discreetly while hiding behind an assortment of junk titles from the stack she’d found earlier. You take a long while to weigh your options, because, if you were being really honest, you didn’t NEED this game. It was just some disk of software that nowhere near amounted to the 50k price tag, and that’s including all the two century old tech along with it. But at the same time there was that bit of sentimentality that had been slowly persuading you to purchase the set, to relive those pleasant memories. Plus, you’d begun to feel a sharp eye on you each time Garrus dared to shoot you a sidelong glance from where he stood. A silent warning, daring you not to purchase what’s probably just a pile of some old, obsolete software and tech, but to you it was a challenge. A challenge you were more than willing to accept. A fire now burned behind your eyes, and you grin broadly when Garrus realizes it’s too late to stop you now, reveling in this silent victory over the stuck up turian. You turn back to the salarian and let your eyes drift between the game and him before drawing out your most sickeningly innocent act yet.

“That seems a little steep,” you say sweetly, and the salesman is already fidgeting anxiously in his spot. This would be too easy, “maybe we can work out some sort of deal? You know, salarian to _spectre_.”

His brow shoots up, mouth agape before he gets the foresight to smack his jaw closed with the butt of his palm. His expression is consumed by complete disbelief, but like before he’s quick on the rebound, bending over with one arm on the tabletop and his head turned to the side in an obvious attempt to play the part of a suave business man.

“I’m listening,” he says in a low, hushed tone, you nearly burst out laughing.

“Lets see,” you start once you’ve properly gotten a handle on yourself, following the salarian’s example as your rest both elbows on the counter and keep your cheek turned to the fellow sentient, even if that cheek was leaning into your palm. “Why not sell me the whole package; TV, console and all, for 20k and in return,” you glance back at him from the corner of your eye, “I leave you with a glowing review on the extranet from the Citadel’s very own human spectre. And hey, I’ll even throw in some free promotion from yours truly. That sounds like more than a lucrative deal on your end, don’t you think?”

Some would say it was a little underhanded to use your title to get store discounts, but hey, who ever said you were a wholly upstanding citizen to begin with. Besides, the man was trying to con you first, it only seemed fair to give him a little taste of his own medicine, and by the looks of it the salarian saw it as more than a bargain as his fingers rapidly tapped away at his calculator. He slides it back to whatever compartment it came from with an impudent grin and stands up straight with a hand outstretched.

“It’s a deal,” you give him a modest smile, pushing yourself upright before your grip comes around his in a hearty handshake, exchanging credits, goods, and contacts alike. Promising you’d reach out to him at a later date before waving farewell and heading on your merry way. Garrus and Tali trail behind you, the turian baffled by the whole event while the quarian sniggered and gave her commander a congratulatory elbow to the ribs for a job well done. Or in her words a _scam_ well done.

“It wasn’t a scam,” you counter indignantly, “it was just… monetary persuasion,” the quarian cackles brazenly, and you think you see her roll the eyes under that helmet. You huff and try not to smile.

“Sure Shepard, whatever helps you sleep at night,” she quips back as the three of you head back to the Normandy with some new cargo.

* * *

Plenty of strange looks are directed your way when you finally take that impatient step into the main bridge, your drumming foot during the air lock’s decontamination cycle more than an ample forewarning of their approaching commander. Kelly especially when she tears her face from her screen to see the source of the upper crew’s murmuring and finds herself shocked before raising an eyebrow at the ancient tech in your arms. Garrus interjects before you even get the chance to open your mouth.

“You shouldn’t trust Shepard at an open market,” he states simply, and that appears to be enough as the entire crew voices their understanding amongst each other before they’re back to work again. Your eyes roll with an offended huff, unwilling to admit that you were just that predictable.

“Whatever, I’m heading up to my quarters to set this bad boy up. Feel like lending me a hand, Tali?” you turn your head towards the hooded alien just in time to see her eyes snap from her omnitool to you. She shrugs her shoulders.

“I was expecting you to ask that, but sure. Sounds like a better way to spend my time than sitting with the engines and _calibrating_ all day,” both of you look to Garrus. Obviously teasing your friend, but he was less amused as he looks down at the pair contemptuously.

“Hey!... My calibrations are _very_ important, alright?” the two of you don’t mean it but you both just can’t suppress the snicker at his lame reply, huffing before making a swift retreat to the elevator. He punches in the number for his station with a scowl as the doors close.Tali shakes her head as her hands settle on her hips.

“He really needs to get himself a lover,” she comments offhandedly while waiting for the elevator to return, which you snort at.

“You know, I’d be fine with being his girlfriend if that meant getting him away from that damn console for more than five minutes at a time. I swear he must be married to that thing,” your exasperated reply has Tali eyeing you dubiously, which you parry with a deceptively innocent smile and a wink. She drops it but keeps giving you suspicious looks from the corner of her helmet, barely catching the soft giggling under her breath. Just as you’re about to question her though the elevator announces its’ arrival with a soft ring before the doors swish open. The two of you step inside.

You look to Tali regrettably as she opens the doors for you, slowly trudging into the foyer of your quarters. The bulky tech is steadily weighing you down and your knuckles are turning white from the pressure. You’d forgotten how heavy these old television sets were, quick to climb down the shallow steps to the coffee table just so you could relieve yourself of the strain. Tali had taken the console shortly before the elevator stopped; as well as the assorted wires, controllers, and other things, which you appreciated even if their load combined didn’t amount to much. She sets them all down in front of the TV while you’re bent over, hands on your knees and huffing for air. The light touch of a slender, three fingered hand tries to comfort you with a gentle pat to your shoulder, and you respond with a tired grunt as you drag your feet to take a seat on the couch. She chuckles and for a second you thought she was about to toss out some teasing remark about your… probably over dramatic display of exhaustion, but she must’ve changed her mind. Instead she bends down behind the bulky grey box to do a bit of tinkering. Any other person would be mortified to have someone poking around in an old, and very expensive, piece of tech they’d only just bought hours prior, but you knew Tali and trusted her with your very life. (something that was required in your line of work) So you just let her do what she wanted to that hunk of metal and glass, meanwhile you content with just sitting there, pulling the tangled mass of wires onto your lap so you could hook your fingers between the loops and knots. Aiming to make sense of the mess.

Time is lost to you as you immersed yourself in the monotony of your task, letting your mind shut off as you tug and weave the cords around each other. When you managed to stretch the wires to their full length an hour had already passed and Tali is standing up to admire her work. Wordlessly a hand is opened out to you and you drop the wires in her palm one at a time, observing closely as she plugged them into the proper ports. You memorized their placement so you wouldn’t be totally lost if you had to do this yourself, and it’s not very long until the entire system is set up and Tali is giving you the okay to boot it. You shove the memory card and disk into the game box, plug in the controller and hit the ON switch, breaking out into a tender smile as the familiar logos pop up onto the screen. You settle back into the sofa and Tali joins you at your side, her eye-lights scanning the entire screen for, what you could only assume is, bugs or errors. Satisfied when she finds none.

“Might as well see what that salarian tried to rip you off for,” she states with a shrug when she catches your inquisitive look. The screen bursts with light as the opening screen comes up and the title is recited in stereotypical Italian fashion, taking your attention off your quarian friend and to the brightly colored intro.

 _‘Super Mario Sunshine!’_ Tali snickers at the strange accent.

* * *

You don’t think you’ve ever gripped a controller harder in your life, in fact you can’t even recall a day you’ve ever held a gun this tightly before. Your knuckles were white with tension, eyes locked steadfast to the multicolored screen as you control your unwieldy little shit of a protagonist called Mario.

It would be an understatement to say that you were hooked on this game. It only took you a couple of minutes before you were completely absorbed into this fictional, brightly colored world. Tali was right there with you for the ride as she watches the pudgy plumber under your control jump, slide, and dash across the screen. You were starting to miss those first few hours. The pleasantly difficult challenges and the way Tali gazed, enamored with the toonishly beautiful stages made of polygons and code. But that was long gone and instead you were left facing against a giant Sand Bird for what feels like the millionth time, though in reality it was probably the twentieth.

You don’t even want to recall all the deaths, the bullshit physics and the sporadically terrible depth perception, or just those moments when you got a little too greedy. But now there was nothing standing between you and victory as you carefully hop to grab last red coin floating just inches above the sandy avian, catching Tali’s sharp gasp in your ear as her fingers dig into your shoulder. Both of you are tense but Tali is the worse of you two, muttering curses and warnings under her breath as she watched your movements intensely. You’ve learned to tune it out now, fixated on the screen as you carefully trek across the bird’s huge, geometric body, praying to whatever God that’s up there that you don’t fall off, AGAIN.

You could see the end at the corner of the screen, the sweet release of a cleared stage, but as you inched closer the both of you only grew more tense. Like slowly twisting springs waiting for anything to make the two of you snap. The bird starts to turn, but you’re expecting this, holding your breath as you walk the crimson clad protagonist to the very edge of the wing, cold sweat dripping down your brow as the man pulls himself up to the very tip. Tali’s making high pitched noises with her unsteady breathing, meanwhile you’ve gone completely silent as you watch the bird fly perpendicular to the vibrantly hued sea below. (or maybe it was sky? Honestly you couldn’t give a damn either way, that blue expanse was just death to you)

Tali’s breathing picks up, her blunt nails starting to bore painfully into your arm, but you couldn’t be damned about that now. You had to keep a level head, to reach the fucking end. Your pulse definitely stops when you nearly slide of the bird into the abyss below, both of you making odd, high pitched squeals of terror as your butts inch closer to the edge of your seats. You’re getting closer… closer......  _closer............_

You take the jump and grab the last coin, whooping when you see the star appear on screen just a short distance behind you. You and Tali leap out of your seats with jubilated shrieks, the quarian shaking and shouting at you in desperation as she orders you to grab the shine before your stricken by misfortune again. You make Mario leap, slumping down into your seat as he takes the star and melting into the cushions. All that stress pours out your fingertips and feet, and by the looks of it Tali felt the same. You revel in your victory for a couple of minutes, relieved to see that _‘shine get’_ cutscene before it saves and sets you back into the plaza. Tali finds it in herself to wrap her arms around you, and you’d return the gesture if you had any strength left to spare. So she’d just have to be happy with your cheek pressed to the top of her helmet. It sounded like she was fine given all the praise she’s showering you with, and the both of you admit that you’re just glad the level is over.

Now if only the suffering was. If only...

* * *

It didn’t take long till your crew was privy to your new intense gaming habits, though you blame Tali for spreading that information around. After you beaten the Sand Bird she’d went and blabbed about it to the two engineers she frequented with in the engine, and the next time the two of you decided to play she’d brought them along to watch. You fixed her with a harsh look before begrudgingly agreeing to let them stay, but soon that two became four, and that four became eight. It wasn’t long till your quarters felt a incredibly overcrowded as your crew tried to squeeze into the limited space, eventually forcing you to relocate altogether.

You take your game down to the mess. It just seemed like the best spot; big tables, lots of chair, plenty of space, and at least now you had enough elbow room to hold your controller. No more sitting rigid with your arms tight against your sides. You’d set the TV to the very far end of the table, sitting at the opposite side, discovering that you had a lot more freedom to jerk and sway in your seat than before. Tali still sat by your side, holding your arm while your crewmates surrounded you from every angle, leaned forward on the edge of their seats as you defeat boss after grueling boss. A choir of upset groans followed each death, and there were plenty of them. Though each victory felt that much sweeter when it was met with the triumphant roar of men and women around you.

By now you’ve gone through a large portion of the game, and you weren’t exactly proud to admit it had taken you months to do so. To be fair, you had to balance your gameplay between intensive missions and recruitment, which left very little time for you to progress. Still, you’ve gone through goopy lava levels with NO water in sight, to slimy choco/vanilla swirl stages with enormous flying venus flytraps. (and it took a good 20 minutes to explain to the non-humans of your crew that no, Earth doesn’t actually have any fauna like that) And the casino… Just, FUCK THAT CASINO. You were certain you’d go insane a couple times along the way, but here you are, ass planted in an uncomfortably hard seat while your virtual character stands before their next challenge.

_A giant pachinko machine…._

Air hisses between your teeth as you fill your lungs, and all heads whip to face yours. You make a bit of a show of cracking your neck and rolling your shoulders, eyes alight with fierce determination as you tap the joystick forward.

_“Lets do this.”_

* * *

The room is quiet, no one dares to make a sound, all waiting with bated breath as the speakers ding with another red coin collected. All those lives you’d painstakingly gathered before this moment had been torn from you, one by one as you continuously fell into the empty skies below. But that didn’t matter, because now only one coin stood between you and your prize. You try to keep the controller steady in your trembling hands hands, and Tali has a death grip on your arm that actually has you worrying about your blood circulation.

You suck in a mouthful of air through your nose, jump, and the spring floor launches you high into the stage. Everyone leans in closer, including you, as your thumb holds down a button and waterspouts rain down on the area below. You inch closer... closer....... just a little more..........

“YES!” you bellow, and so does half your crew as they exchange ecstatic gestures among each other. Meanwhile you’ve launched out of your chair with your arms high above your head, nearly dragging the console with you. You settle back down as the chubby plumber makes his slow descent back to the start, and in your euphoric delight you missed the crucial cutscene that shows where the shine had spawned. But you can’t find it in yourself to give a damn. Once you reach the bottom though you go to seek the shine, cocking your head in bewilderment when you find it where you thought it would be.

One of your crew mates speaks up in your confusion, directing their finger to the top of the screen, “it’s in the middle one!” You groan.

“Oh God, you’ve GOT to be kidding me,” you tilt the camera and, to your dismay, the shine sits at the center most chamber of the level. Claws of despair grasps at your body and you feel yourself being dragged through the floor, but the encouraging cheers of your crew bring you back. Chanting their faith in you till you’re beaming with an appreciative smile, sitting tall in your seat. Deep breaths, you were Commander FUCKING Shepard. You’ve beaten the Sand Bird, the giant eel, the goofy looking venus flytrap, and you sure as hell could beat this!

You tilt the joystick and the plumber jogs over to the green panel. You leap and are launched high into the air, pushed out by the gentle curve of the ceiling before slowing your momentum with jets of water. The hairs on your nape stand on end as you manage to land on one of the pins directly above your target. The crew goes quiet and, carefully, you flick the controls, hoping to gently drop into place…

He slips off the edge! Everyone’s gasping, shocked and terrified as the round red man plummets down the side. “Shit! No no nonononono-” you try to recover, to maneuver into one of the other holes below, but it’s too late. Mario slides off the bottom of the stage and plummets to his death.

Your crew sits in stunned silence, those frozen faces turning towards yours. Meanwhile you’re completely at a loss, lacking the capacity to even react to the whole event. It was like your soul had been ripped out of your body and all that remained of you was a numb husk. You slump in your seat, head bent over the backrest while your hands surrender to gravity like limp noodles, the controller landing with a thud on the hard metal floor. Tali immediately snaps herself out of her trance and tries to shake you back to consciousness, but to no avail. You had failed, and the Game Over screen that followed is only a seal in your coffin.

Suddenly Garrus steps into view, skirting the throng of crew mates with a quirked brow on his plated face. His eyes scan the mass and find Commander Shepard at its’ center, and it only takes a short glance to the television screen for him to realize what’s going on. Bright blue eyes roll reproachfully in the shadow of his sockets, setting the bottle he’d brought with him down onto the kitchen counter top nearby.

“You’re seriously still playing this game? I was sure you’d have gotten bored of it by now,” he says with a lofty snort, weaving his arms across his chest while his hip juts out to one side.

Tali responds for you while you try to find the will to carry on, “don’t be so mean. She’s been at it for months now and just lost a level after nearly beating it. Cut her a little slack.”

The turian’s eyes dart back to the screen and he chuckles mockingly, replying with a cocky jeer, “really? I bet I could beat whatever level she’s on in one try.” The crew coos at the challenge as if the lot of them were a pack of grade school children,and it’s Garrus’ contemptuous tone and arrogant attitude that ignites a fire within you. That gives you a new purpose and resolve, summoning you back to reality. Your head snaps to attention, whipping it around to shoot him a taunting  smirk as you tug the controller from the floor by its’ wire and offer it to him.

“Alright, then do it.”

He’s surprised to see you actually handing him the controller with that challenging gleam in your eye, but it’s quickly replaced with an egotistical flex of his mandibles. Talons carefully drift across your skin as he takes the oddly shaped device, nudging you with his hip to claim your seat. You stand and step back, stealing a chair from you crew so you could watch over his shoulder, Tali at the opposite side. You give the person who’d been sitting there an apologetic glance before you look to the quarian in disbelief. Rolling your eyes and pointing to the man sat between the two of you.

You let Garrus take his time to familiarize himself with the controls, letting out a cynical snort as he jumps, slides, and dashes around the plaza. It takes a couple of minutes before he asks where the level is, and you promptly direct him to the gap underneath the stone bridge. He enters with one skillful leap, and you lip pulls back in a sneer and chalk it up to beginner's luck. It doesn’t stop him from puffing his chest with a haughty grin, leaping into the pachinko themed level without an ounce of fear.

He’d be dead in minutes, you were sure of it.

* * *

Garrus slams the controller down onto the table and rises from his seat, mandibles open in a confident smile. Meanwhile everyone else is left in stunned, slack jawed awe as the bright star dances around the plumber in the game’s victory screen. While everyone else is paralyzed the turian is weaving between the cluster of people to his bottle, shooting one last smirk over his shoulder as he leaves.

“I told you so.”

You sit there, and like the rest of the group you’re completely dumbfounded. Pride smashed and the weight of defeat hanging over you. The crew, in their bewilderment, try to console you, Tali being the first to pat you on the shoulder. There’s a few minutes before that fire burns inside you again and you’re snatching the controller back with a determined grin.

“You know what? Fuck it. I’m going to beat that level, and when I do I’m going to shove it in his fucking face.”

You see eyebrows shoot up, heads turned to one another before your crew is cheering you on. Fists pumping in the air as you jog to that stage again with fierce ambition and the drive to preserve an ounce of your dignity.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to leave a kudos if you liked it, or comment. I always try to reply to all of them and it honestly brightens my day to hear what people have to say about my fanfiction.


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